Key unions call for urgent changes after reports of sexual assault in WA’s mining industry

Western Australia’s biggest mining unions want an independent watchdog to investigate sexual harassment complaints.

The CFMEU and Australian Workers’ Union are calling on the WA government to urgently establish the expert body.

The unions want it funded by the mining industry.

A survey of 425 mining workers has found one in three women and 10 per cent of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work in the past year.

The survey forms part of the unions’ submission to the WA parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry.

The inquiry, which will examine drug and alcohol policies and workplace culture at some of the world’s biggest minerals companies, was announced in July after several women came to police with sexual assault allegations.

AWU national secretary Daniel Walton claims there is a culture of “backlisting” in the minerals sector that deters people from raising issues with management.

“Women are punished for speaking up. Women are not confident to raise their concerns, so we need an independent body to hear them and to investigate them,” he said.

“The industry has been predominantly a blue collar male industry. In the past decade there's been a big push to improve diversity. But unfortunately there’s not enough policy to support that change.”

WA mining company executives from companies including BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group held a media conference in June to apologise to those who had been sexually harassed or assaulted on mining sites.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia said in a statement it was committed to participating in the parliamentary inquiry.

The chamber has also established a “safe and respectful behaviours” working group.

The Minerals Council of Australia on July 7 – the day the inquiry commenced – announced a national industry code on eliminating sexual harassment.

Almost one in four female participants in the WMWA survey reported that they had experienced physical acts of sexual assault, while two-thirds had experienced verbal sexual harassment while working in the FIFO mining industry.

One in five women said they had been offered improved employment or career advancement in exchange for sexual favours, “either explicitly or implicitly”.

Mr Walton said the results were “shocking”.

The parliamentary inquiry closed for submissions on Friday and is expected to hold public hearings in Perth over the coming months.